Bloom Boutique Launches New Necklace and Extends Partnership with Heart Research UK Posted on February 7, 2025May 23, 2025 by laure@heartresearch.org.uk We are delighted to share that our valued corporate partner, Bloom Boutique, has launched a brand-new necklace as part of their ongoing commitment to tackling heart diseases in women. Every year, twice as many women in the UK lose their lives to heart diseases than to breast cancer. Tragically, many of these deaths could be prevented – women often face delays in receiving medical help, a 50% higher chance of misdiagnosis after a heart attack compared to men, and a harder time accessing treatment. Through our continued partnership with Bloom Boutique, we aim to raise awareness, drive change, and support life-saving initiatives to improve heart health across the UK. The latest edition of Bloom Boutique’s charity heart necklace builds on the success of their previous design and coincides with the renewal of their partnership with Heart Research UK for a second year. With every necklace sold, a portion of proceeds will be donated to fund vital research and outreach, reaffirming Bloom Boutique’s commitment to making a difference. This collaboration has already had a powerful impact, raising essential funds for pioneering medical research and community health checks. By purchasing this beautiful necklace, you’re not just adding a timeless piece to your jewellery collection, you’re also helping to protect the hearts of women everywhere. Get yours today and wear your support for women’s heart health. Together, we can save lives and spark change for our mothers, sisters, daughters, and friends across the UK. Get you necklace today
Heart Research UK and Just Strong Partnership: Becky’s Story Posted on August 22, 2024May 23, 2025 by laure@heartresearch.org.uk “The idea that, as a young, active, and fit woman who was always on the go, I could be going into heart failure didn’t cross my mind, and it certainly didn’t cross the minds of the people around me” Becky Giblin, a Just Strong ambassador, opens up about her life-changing heart failure diagnosis at just 22 years old. Now at 29, Becky shares her inspiring journey as part of a new partnership between Heart Research UK’s HER disease campaign and Just Strong. Becky shares: “When I was admitted to the hospital, my ejection fraction or my heart function was at 13%. But thanks to incredible medication, wonderful research and a medical team that believed in me, I was able to improve my heart function based only on medications.” In the past six years, Becky has made remarkable progress in her heart health. Today, she leads a full life — working a regular job, staying active at the gym, and enjoying time with friends each week. “There was a life on the other side of my diagnosis, but it is not lost on me how often that is not true for so many people, particularly for young women. I was one of the lucky ones, but the statistics show there are far too many of us losing our lives to heart conditions.” Buy your limited edition t-shirt here
Heart Research UK at The Workplace Event Posted on April 26, 2024May 29, 2025 by Sarah Gill Heart Research UK will be attending The Workplace Event taking place from 30th April to 2nd May 2024. The Workplace Event is the home for workplace and facilities innovation. It brings together workplace professionals and practitioners from facilities, HR, technology, real estate, design, architecture, consultants, and advisors to share best practices, expertise and ideas to create effective working environments, employee experience and drive optimum organisational performance. Having a healthy workforce is essential to the success of any organisation and Heart Research UK will be speaking about our Healthy Hearts at Work programme, which encourages employers to identify and address key health and wellbeing needs of staff. It is hoped that through the programme employers will be able to support their employees and recognise each organisation’s commitment to improving the heart health of their workforce. At the event delegates attending will have the opportunity to have free blood pressure checks carried out by the Heart Research UK team, which will highlight the importance of blood pressure checks and can save lives. Of the health checks Heart Research UK conducted in 2023, 33% of people were found to have high blood pressure and advised to visit their GP. Furthermore, 66% of those tested had blood pressure readings outside of the healthy range. The three-day event at the NEC Birmingham comprises a Workplace Leaders’ Summit, Workplace Leaders Top 50, Knowledge Hub seminar programmes, exhibition, and new for 2024 – The Emerging Leaders Campus and The Future Workplace sponsored by Vanti. Amie Leckie, Workplace Health and Wellbeing Specialist will be attending the event and is looking forward to raising awareness of health and wellbeing to foster a healthy workplace. Amie Leckie, Workplace Health and Wellbeing Specialist, says: “We must continue to acknowledge the importance of employee wellbeing. Our Healthy Hearts at Work Programme aims to support organisations to create a healthy workplace for their employees. We are excited to be attending the Workplace Event to speak about employee wellbeing and heart health.”
An outdoor gym for the female heart Posted on March 4, 2024May 28, 2025 by Sarah Gill Heart Research UK and The Great Outdoor Gym Company (TGOGC) have joined forces to create the ultimate outdoor fitness space that is more female-friendly. Studies show that up to 40% of women are not meeting the recommended weekly exercise target of 150 minutes, leading to the alarming increase in heart disease among women. To address this issue, we are inviting women and girls to co-create our upcoming outdoor gym designs so that they can be tailored to better meet their needs. Your participation in our survey will provide valuable insights into what you consider essential in an outdoor fitness environment. Your input will help shape the future of fitness spaces and empower women to prioritise their cardiovascular health. About The Great Outdoor Gym Company Co-founded by female designer, Georgie Delaney MBE, The Great Outdoor Gym Company has pioneered outdoor gyms in the UK and has installed over 2500 worldwide. Their vision is help create healthier people and a healthier planet. Georgie wants to break TGO’s own mould and develop new inspiring designs that women feel excited to belong to. Georgie Delaney MBE at the Great Outdoor Gym Company: “Co-creation is a key part of our design process. We also value inclusivity, sustainability, diversity, safety and quality.” Helen Flaherty at Heart Research UK: “We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with the Great Outdoor Gym Company, which aligns perfectly with our goal to get people more active. We want to see physical activity become a fundamental part of life for all women and girls. Increasing physical activity is crucial for reducing the risk of coronary heart disease because it helps with maintaining a healthy weight, managing cholesterol levels and reducing high blood pressure.”
Heart Research UK and Indian Block Print Co. Partnership: Maggie’s Story Posted on November 14, 2023May 28, 2025 by Sarah Gill By Olivia Schofield “My heart attack came out of nowhere with no warning. ”Maggie Sheehan, Founder of the Indian Block Print Co., and her daughter Tess Hucker are sharing their experience after Maggie’s heart attack, as part of a new partnership between Heart Research UK and The Indian Block Print Co., which has created a limited-edition heart tea towel block print kits. In 2014, Maggie Sheehan was travelling to Heathrow Airport on the M25 when she began to feel unwell. Then, the 58-year-old was overcome with a tight feeling in her chest and suddenly passed out. Her daughter, Tess Hucker who runs the company with her, was driving at the time and had to pull onto the hard shoulder and call 999. Shortly after Tess made the emergency call, Maggie regained consciousness. Maggie, 67, said: “I couldn’t move my upper arms and the pain was so bad, it went all across my chest. I came to the frightening realisation that I am either having a heart attack or a stroke.” At that moment, 20-year-old Tess was unsure what to do to help her mum and felt completely helpless. Tess, now 29, said: “My mum was so frightened. She was in a lot of pain. It makes me emotional to relive it because Mum started saying goodbye to me. It was horrible.” “I was one of the lucky ones, I’m here to tell my story, but sadly there are so many people who aren’t as lucky and a simple heart health check with your GP could be lifesaving.” When the ambulance arrived, they quickly identified that Maggie was having a heart attack, and she was taken to Harefield Hospital. Maggie explained: “I remember being in a lot of pain, but it happened so quickly. When we got to the hospital, they quickly identified that I had a blockage in my heart, and they were going to put a stent in.” After the surgery, Maggie went to rehabilitation at her local hospital, where she made a full recovery and was given advice on how to improve her lifestyle. Both Maggie and Tess decided to get matching heart tattoos on their wrists after their experience to mark the spot where Maggie’s lifesaving stent was inserted. Maggie continued: “My heart attack came out of nowhere with no warning, so it would have been a silent killer for me. I’ve always thought if I’d been on my own that day, that would have been the end of it.” Inspired by Maggie’s and Tess’s experience, the Indian Block Print Co. has partnered with national heart charity, Heart Research UK, to raise money and awareness of heart diseases in women by creating a limited-edition heart tea towel block printing craft kit. Maggie explained: “I was told my blood pressure, and my cholesterol were very high. I hadn’t prioritised my health before I had the heart attack. There was nothing wrong with my health. I felt I was healthy and normal. “My message to all women is to go get your blood pressure and cholesterol checked as soon as possible. It came out of nowhere, so please don’t let denial get in the way of your health. I was one of the lucky ones, I’m here to tell my story, but sadly there are so many people who aren’t as lucky and a simple heart health check with your GP could be lifesaving.”£10 from every sale of the heart tea towel block print craft kits will be donated to Heart Research UK, supporting their lifesaving research into the prevention, treatment and cure of heart diseases. The Indian Block Print Co. and Heart Research UK: limited edition heart tea towel block print kit is available to buy now from: www.theindianblockprintco.com
Thirteen-year partnership between Heart Research UK and Subway® is coming to an end Posted on April 17, 2023May 28, 2025 by Sarah Gill Launching in 2009, Heart Research UK and Subway® have been in partnership for 13 years and have raised over £1 million for local communities across the UK. The purpose of the partnership was based on the mutual commitment of both organisations to support local communities who needed more heart health intervention. The money raised throughout the partnership was spent on Healthy Heart Grants throughout the UK. These grants enabled grass root organisations to access the funding needed for new, original and innovative projects that actively promoted a healthy heart and helped prevent, or reduce, the risk of heart disease in areas where the provision for such learning, understanding and application wasn’t available. In many areas of social deprivation there are little or no resources for teaching people about their heart and the importance of living a healthy life. In these communities, obesity is more prevalent. The partnership between Subway® and Heart Research UK aimed to change this. The Healthy Heart Grants were given where they were needed most, to local groups with in-depth knowledge of the needs of their area, benefitting the people most at risk of heart disease. The people who benefit from these grants have often not had the opportunity to learn about their heart or how to reduce their risk of heart disease. The learnings have been invaluable to them and also their family and friends who have learned from them. Simple provisions such as cooking classes for adults with learning difficulties or walking and exercise groups for the blind have significantly improved the quality of life for participants. Subway® franchisees got heavily involved with the partnership and their enthusiasm towards the work they were funding was fantastic and really inspiring. Each store had a collection box and many engaged with the Healthy Heart Grants which ran in their local communities. Some staff even got involved in the grants process and sat on the panel to help shortlist the applications and assist with making the final decisions. They gave an external perspective on the projects and a different point of view to the Heart Research UK team. The biggest Subway® fundraiser throughout the 13 years of the partnership was the Subway Helping Hearts Family 5Ks, which were launched in 2011. The series of 5K runs gave local families in each of the Subway® regions the chance to enter a race where everyone could take part and enjoy. Buggies, dogs and even wheelchairs made their way around the course before participants enjoyed entertainment and a healthy Subway lunch at the end. They were incredibly popular with the highest turnout being 2,500 runners at one of the Belfast events!After 13 fantastic years, the partnership has now come to an end and Heart Research UK would like to offer their huge thanks and sincere gratitude to all the team at Subway for everything they have helped the charity achieve. Kate Bratt-Farrar, Chief Executive at Heart Research UK, said: “Being partnered with a huge global brand like Subway® for such a long period has been an absolute pleasure. They raised over £1million throughout the partnership and thanks to them we’ve been able to support thousands of people across the country, helping them live healthier, happier and longer lives. The team at Subway® did more than just fundraise, they fully integrated themselves in the partnership and this is one of the reasons it was such a long and successful relationship. “Strategic partnerships like this are such a huge benefit to charities like ours. The shared social mission of both organisations created the level of ambition needed to raise the money and reach the thousands of people who really needed our help. “Without Subway®, our healthy heart grants wouldn’t have been possible and we would like to offer our sincere thanks to them for allowing us to do so much more and help many more people.” Beneficiaries of some our partnership projects have said: “I can’t believe for seven years I have not been able to convince my child to eat a tomato and now he’s coming home excited telling me what he’s been making and even helping me cook at home. This is a fantastic opportunity. Thank you.” ‘’It’s been 55 years since I cycled but once you get out there and get cycling you feel 100% better for it. The Healthy Heart cycle project has made a big difference to me. It’s helped me be more active than I’ve been in years and I’ve lost just over 2 stone.” The Subway® and Heart Research UK partnership has positively impacted on people being able to keep their loved ones around for longer, successfully reaching across diverse and hard to reach communities.
‘Less Sweet More Heart’ with MyFitnessPal Posted on February 16, 2023May 28, 2025 by Sarah Gill To kick off Heart Month 2023, we partnered with MyFitnessPal for a pop-up event at Observation Point in London, with health checks for the public and striking anatomical heart made entirely of sugar on show. Did you know that the average male Brit consumes 83% more sugar than the recommended allowance each year? Too much sugar in the diet can lead to weight gain and obesity, which can increase your blood pressure and your risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Over two million people are living with CHD in the UK and it’s one of the biggest killers. A team from Heart Research UK were at Observation Point the whole day, checking people’s blood pressure and body composition, talking through the results and giving out nutritional advice. The team was led by Dr Helen Flaherty, Director of Health Promotion and Education and registered nutritionist. On show were also two anatomical hearts made entirely of sugar, one weighing 10,950g which is the recommended yearly allowance, and the other one weighing 20,075g which is what the average Brit consumes. Sarah, a woman who had her health checked by the Heart Research UK team, said she came along to the event to make sure her blood sugar was okay. “I have been trying to exercise and get fit but it’s a lifelong battle. I started because I found out my cholesterol levels are raised. “I’m aware that there’s a lot of hidden sugar in food, but I didn’t know that people eat so much more than what’s recommended. I try to be aware of what I eat but at the end of the day we’ve all got a sweet tooth. I just want to try and keep fit as long as possible.”
How to reduce your sugar intake this Heart Month Posted on February 1, 2023May 28, 2025 by Sarah Gill By Olivia Schofield Sugar can have a bittersweet effect when it comes to our health. Having too much sugar in your diet can lead to weight gain, which in turn puts you at a higher risk of developing coronary heart disease. So, to mark the start of Heart Month, Heart Research UK has teamed up with MyFitnessPal to encourage people to reduce their sugar intake. A survey conducted by MyFitnessPal found that sugar is the number one thing people are trying to eat less of, and it is also the thing most people feel guilty about eating. Over half of the people questioned said they would like to reduce their sugar intake, but they were surprised to learn that added sugars are hidden in many common foods. So, with the average male consuming 83% more than the UK recommendation, how can you become more aware of your sugar intake? Check food labels for added sugars Sugar is often added to many common foods and drinks including cakes, biscuits, pudding, sweets, chocolate, drinks, and sweetened yogurts to name a few. Checking food labels in these products can let you determine if the food is high in sugar or not. Foods high in sugar contain 22.5g or more of total sugars per 100g and foods low in sugar contain 5g or less of total sugars per 100g.Free sugars Often ‘free sugars’ can also be added to foods as a flavour enhancement or to act as a preservative to increase the shelf-life of a product. Added sugar can be listed in several ways but key ingredients to look out for include sucrose, glucose, maltose, fructose, dextrose, honey, syrup, molasses, treacle, or fruit juice concentrates. It’s also important to know the amount of sugar you are eating daily. If you are unsure how much sugar you should be consuming, it is recommended that: For children between the ages of four and six the maximum free sugar per day is 19g For children between the ages of seven and 10 the maximum free sugar per day is 24g For adults, the maximum free sugar per day is 30g Make drink swaps Limiting sweet treats in your diet by consuming them less often or in smaller portions can decrease your intake of sugar. If you add sugar to hot drinks, try cutting back on the amount of sugar you add or opt for an artificial sweetener. You can even try swapping sugary soft drinks for water, sugar-free or reduced-sugar drinks. Other options include unsweetened fruit juices and smoothies, which are low in sugar, but try limiting your intake to no more than 150ml a day. Dessert and breakfast swaps Switching out sugary desserts for low-fat or low-sugar yogurts with fruit, can also reduce the amount of sugar you are consuming. If you have a sweet tooth and want a sugary pudding, try eating smaller portions. Another way to cut down on your sugar is to be careful of your sugar intake at breakfast time. Often, frosted, chocolate or honey coated breakfast cereals are high in sugar. Try replacing these with wholegrain breakfast cereals, such as bran flakes. Following this advice should help you to reduce your sugar intake and lower your risk of developing health complications including coronary heart disease. If you are interested in more heart healthy tips, you can sign up to our Healthy Tips here.
New corporate partnership – Assured Mobility Ltd Posted on October 5, 2022May 28, 2025 by Sarah Gill We are delighted to welcome our new corporate partner, Assured Mobility Ltd. Assured Mobility Ltd, are a family-run business and specialists in a range of mobility products that support independent living. Many of their customers are living with heart failure and other serious health conditions, and this year-long partnership will both raise funds towards research into heart failure and help their staff better understand their customers’ needs. “Heart Research UK are a great charity with a real purpose at the core. Being research and cure focused they can make a real improvement to people’s lives, which mirrors our values as a business. Being a smaller charity means they are available to help make the fundraising process as effective as possible. We are really looking forward to seeing the fruits of our labours over the next year.” David Eatwell, Director Their fundraising activity will include donations on a range of products, a donation for every customer review, a Christmas Raffle, ‘The Big Stich’, coffee mornings and a sponsored Tough Mudder. You can donate here: Assured Mobility is fundraising for Heart Research UK (justgiving.com) Thank you so much, David and Team. We look forward to the year ahead.
Healthy tips for staycationers from Caravan Guard Posted on September 13, 2021May 28, 2025 by Sarah Gill Kids are back at school but holiday season and weekends away are still going strong. Some of us have sneaked abroad but many are choosing to stay in the UK. Caravans, motorhomes and holiday parks are more popular than ever. What’s more fun than setting off on a road trip and discovering beautiful parts of the UK, places that many of us had never thought to visit before the last few years. Going on holiday definitely means relaxing, but it doesn’t have to mean you stop focusing on keeping healthy and active. We worked with our fabulous partners Caravan Guard to create two Healthy Holiday Tips. Caravan Guard provide insurance cover for touring caravan, campervan, static caravan and motorhome owners. They donate £1 to Heart Research UK every time a customer takes out a paperless policy, and, since our partnership began, they have raised an incredible £130,000 for our life-saving research. Liz Harrison, PR & Communications Manager at Caravan Guard, said: “We were delighted to be able to offer our customers some simple tips for staying heart healthy when on their caravan and motorhome holidays. Owning a leisure vehicle or holiday caravan is the perfect way to keep active in the great outdoors and with on-board cooking facilities it’s really easy to prepare lots of healthy snacks and meals. We loved the hacks from the experts at Heart Research UK.” You can check out the tips here Healthy heart tips when on your caravan or motorhome holidays Tips for being heart healthy on your caravan holidays “It’s a pleasure to work with Caravan Guard and we are so grateful for their ongoing support. In return for the consistent funds they raise for us, we are always there to support their employee’s health and wellbeing and we were excited to share our healthy holiday suggestions with their customers.” Isabel McKenzie, Corporate Development Officer, Heart Research UK To discuss a purpose-led partnership with Heart Research UK, please contact Isabel, Corporate Development Officer by emailing isabel@heartresearch.org.uk
Long-term Heart Research UK corporate partner Caravan Guard smash fundraising record Posted on February 15, 2021May 28, 2025 by Sarah Gill Leisure insurance specialists Caravan Guard, who have been partnered with Heart Research UK for many years, raised over £20,000 for Heart Research UK in 2020 – a new record for the partnership. Caravan Guard has been raising money for Heart Research UK for more than a decade by donating £1 to the charity each time a new caravan, campervan or motorhome insurance customer opts for their policy documents to be emailed rather than posted. In 2020, its “Paperless Policies” campaign raised a record breaking £20,358 – the most it’s ever raised in a 12-month period. In the same year, the Halifax-based company also celebrated insuring more than 105,000 customers. Heart Research UK recorded a special thank you video to staff at Christmas to show their enormous appreciation for the incredible fundraising efforts of Caravan Guard. The total amount gifted to the charity in the last 11 years is a whopping £131,750. Even though the Coronavirus pandemic put a stop to many fundraising activities, Caravan Guard staff also took part in the national 2.6 challenge and ran a hamper competition to top up their charity efforts. Laura Wilby, Associate Director of Caravan Guard, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be writing a cheque for more than £20,000 this year for a charity which is very close to our hearts. “Having seen and heard first-hand how our money is spent, we’re also very grateful to our customers who chose to go paperless so we can pass on this incredible sum of money to help with the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease.” To find out more about how your company can partner with Heart Research UK, please visit https://heartresearcho.wpenginepowered.com/corporate-fundraising/ Related
Caravan Guard smash fundraising milestone Posted on February 3, 2020May 26, 2025 by Sarah Gill Heart Research UK’s long standing corporate partner Caravan Guard have broken a major fundraising milestone, having now raised more than £110,000 for our pioneering research. Caravan Guard, who specialise in insurance for caravans and motorhomes, introduced their Paperless Policies initiative 10 years ago, which sees them donate £1 to Heart Research UK each time a new caravan, campervan or motorhome insurance customer opts for their policy documents to be emailed rather than posted out. Throughout 2019, Caravan Guard’s Paperless Policies campaign and other fundraising efforts raised a hearty £17,645, pushing the total gifted in the last decade to an incredible £110,887. Caravan Guard staff have also raised money by taking on challenges such as the Great North Run half marathon and running healthy heart events. A “love yourself” event saw the charity deliver health and lifestyle checks and staff were encouraged to make 2020 the year to care completely about their health, as well as others. Associate Director Laura Wilby presented Heart Research UK with a cheque for £17,645 during the Halifax-based company’s healthy heart day. “We’re delighted to have raised so much money for such a great cause in 2019 and absolutely thrilled to have smashed through the £100,000 mark in the last decade,” said Laura. “A big thank you to our customers too, who have chosen to go paperless so we can pass on all this money to help with the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease.” Heart Research UK CEO, Kate Bratt-Farrar, said: “Over the last 10 years, we have been blown away time and again with the generosity of the Caravan Guard customers and staff. To have raised over £110,000 is a truly remarkable achievement, and we can’t thank them enough. “The money that Caravan Guard has raised will be used to benefit patients as soon as possible, funding life-saving research into the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease.” To find out more about how your company can work with Heart Research UK to help us take on heart disease, visit our corporate partnership pages.